Surf's Up 2: Wavemania is a 2017 sequel to the 2007 animated feature Surf's Up.
The story picks up sometime after the last movie, with Cody being interviewed on the events of the last movie. It's revealed that after the surfing competition, Cody fell into obscurity while Chicken Joe went on to become a famous surfer. Cody mentions the hang 5, a band of animals that surfs all over the world, and how badly he wants to join them.
The film was co-produced by Sony Pictures Animation and WWE Studios, and as such, features the voices of many WWE wrestlers.
This movie provides examples of:
- Aesop Amnesia: Cody Maverick once again has to learn the value of friendship, something he had already learned in the last movie.
- The Big Guy: Undertaker, which Chicken Joe point blank calls him at one point.Paige: Is everyone okay?
Chicken Joe: Yep. Just me and the big guy. - Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Zeke "Big Z" Topanga, Reggie Belafonte, and Mikey Abromowitz are nowhere to be found, and Cody now insists it was the Hang 5 that inspired him as a child, not Big Z.
- Disproportionate Retribution: When Cody's friends and the Hang 5 lay into him for nearly killing Tank (and Chicken Joe), he tries justify it by saying that Tank was bullying him on the entire journey.
- Heel–Face Turn: After Cody saves Tank Evans during the finale, Tank apologizes for how he's acted and the two seem to be cool with hanging out with each other from that point on.
- Ink-Suit Actor: The Hang-5 are basically their WWE voice actors as Penguins -even down to the names.
- Mr. McMahon, voiced by Vince McMahon, who serves as the leader of the crew.
- J.C., voiced by John Cena who does his "You can't see me" schtick, along with wearing his camouflage shorts & green wrist bands.
- Hunter, voiced by Triple H, aka Hunter Hearst Helmsley, who has his hair, does his water spit routine, and wears his elbow bands with the H on them.
- Paige has her voice actor's Power Diva gimmick, as well as what appears to be dark eye shadow around her eyes, playing on her goth image.
- Finally The Undertaker, voiced by The Undertaker who's the biggest example of this trope. He has his voice actor's tattoos, hat, hair, says his famous "Rest in Peace" phrase, sleeps underground with his coffin-shaped surf board acting as the lid, as well as being able to survive injuries that should be more serious, if not fatal. He's introduced as the Hang-5's enforcer, which was true of Taker backstage, as the locker room leader who many wrestlers went to for advice.
- Karma Houdini: No one calls Tank out for bullying Cody for the majority of the movie.
- Lighter and Softer: Compared to the first film.
- Minimalist Cast: The movie has a very small cast of characters. There aren’t even many extras filling the background like the first movie.
- Share the Male Pain: While the two were trying to cross a rope stretched across a gorge (by balancing on surfboards, of course), Tank attempts to bully Cody once again. Cody manages to get the upper hand, and Tank loses his balance and finds himself landing on the rope between his legs. Cue a few members of the Hang 5 reacting accordingly.
- Shout-Out: RTL is short for "Ride The Lightning". Remind you of anybody?
- Took a Level in Jerkass: Cody becomes more abrasive, both out of a desire to join the Hang 5 and anger at Tank's constant bullying.
